Community Christian Church
  • Home
  • About
    • We Believe
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Prayer Requests
    • Assistance Resources
  • Events
  • Sermons
    • Current Series
    • Guest Sermons
    • Sermon Archives
    • Live
  • From Tyler's Desk
  • Links
  • Donate
Picture

The Story of Mother's Day

5/1/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
The story of Mother's Day is a story of gentle, yet bold Christian love that was passed from generation to generation. How did it start? The first Mother's Day began in a church in Grafton, West Virginia, where on May 8, 1908, Mrs. Ann M. Jarvis was honored by her daughter, Miss Anna Maria Jarvis. Ann was 12 when her father, Josiah Reeves, was appointed to a Methodist church in Philippi, West Virginia. Seven years later she married Granville E. Jarvis, son of the Baptist minister in Philippi. They had seven children in Taylor County, West Virginia, where Mrs. Jarvis organized and conducted "mother's work clubs" in Philippi, Webster, Prunytown, Fetterman, and Grafton.
 
The mother's groups were work clubs started to mobilize the mothers of a community to fight the problems of disease, poor health, and improper sanitation. Five of her seven children’s deaths can be attributed to these issues. When the Civil War erupted, the Methodist churches in many of these villages were taken over by Union troops with soldiers from Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. When an epidemic of typhoid fever and measles broke out among the soldiers, the general asked if the mothers' clubs would help care for the sick. They did.
 
When the war was over, Union and Confederate veterans returned to the same communities, the same churches, and in many cases the same family had members who fought for opposite sides. People braced themselves for the feuds and hatred that would consume local communities. Mrs. Jarvis reactivated her "mothers' work clubs," and began working with local county authorities to form a new celebration in 1868 called Mother's Friendship Day. The idea was that each member of the club would bring her entire family together for this special day, and mix them throughout the crowd. It was hoped that people would mingle, rather than split up into two sides. Songs were sung and ceremonies were conducted. People shook each other’s hands, and unity was achieved. Mother’s Friendship Days were an annual event throughout Mrs. Jarvis’ life. She died in 1905.
 
At the funeral of Mrs. Jarvis, her daughter, Miss Anna M. Jarvis, pledged to establish a memorial to Mother’s Friendship Day, and on May 10, 1908, the first annual Mother’s Day service was conducted at Andrew Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution confirming and setting aside the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.
 
Ann Jarvis used her "mother’s love" to spread the love of Jesus at a time when our nation was tender and needing care. Perhaps this same love could help our communities and nation today to unite in compassion, love, and peace for one another. John 13:34-35 records these words of Jesus: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
 
Happy Mother’s Day to all the special women in our lives who are reading this.
Tyler

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

​Facebook

Contact

​Subscribe

Watch

Blog


VISIT 400 E. State Street (M-21), St. Johns
CALL (989) 224-6421

JOIN US!

SUNDAY

9:30 am
Adult & Children's Bible Study
​
10:30 am
Worship Service
WEDNESDAY

7:00 pm
Kids of the Kingdom (K-5th)
​& Adult Bible Study
FRIDAY

4:30 pm

​Jr & Sr High School Group
  • Home
  • About
    • We Believe
  • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Prayer Requests
    • Assistance Resources
  • Events
  • Sermons
    • Current Series
    • Guest Sermons
    • Sermon Archives
    • Live
  • From Tyler's Desk
  • Links
  • Donate